How to remove and replace driver side rear wheel bearings

Tiny
KAREN MELISSA DEARING
  • MEMBER
  • 2001 HYUNDAI ELANTRA
  • 2WD
  • AUTOMATIC
  • 227,796 MILES
While driving I can hear a loud grinding/howling sound that gets louder with speed and stops while pressing brake.
Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 AT 5:10 PM

1 Reply

Tiny
HARRY P
  • MECHANIC
  • 2,292 POSTS
Hello. To be honest, I kind of doubt that that sound is coming from a wheel bearing. Generally, with a bad bearing, pressing the brakes will not make the noise go away. The only thing that would effect the sound would be going around a turn at a speed high enough to pitch the weight of the car around a bit. For example, if it is a bad bearing on the left side, then going around a turn to the left will shift some of the weight and pressure off of it, and the sound will quiet down some until you straighten out. Meanwhile, going around a turn to the right will increase some weight and pressure on that bad left side bearing, and the noise gets considerably louder until you straighten out.

Instead, I would suspect a problem with the brakes themselves. Could be a bent dust shield/backing plate touching up against the rotor or wheel. That noise would go away with pushing the brakes. It could also be a loose or missing caliper bolt. I have seen that happen before (on my wife's car). I made a terrible grinding sound when the car was moving. Turned out that the caliper was touching the edge of the brake rotor because one of the two caliper bolts (the ones holding the caliper onto the caliper bracket) was gone. Just gone. I stopped at AutoZone and bought a new one for a few bucks. Problem solved.

So, take the car around some turns at 30 or so mph. If the sound noticeably changes, then maybe you are right to suspect a bearing. Otherwise, take the wheel off and poke around a bit. Take the other side off too so you can compare the sides and see if something is obviously out of place. I am attaching an exploded view image of the rear calipers for your car. I will also attach instructions on how to replace the hub. These instructions are supplied by Hyundai to Prodemand, and are about as clear as mud.

Here is a YouTube video on replacing the bearings: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAVeQN-Ftko

And here is our more generalized guide on the job: https://www.2carpros.com/articles/bearing-hub-replacement

Please check all of this out and let us know what else we can do for you. We are here to help.
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Tuesday, December 11th, 2018 AT 8:32 PM

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